Margie Phelps Of Westboro Baptist Church Says Group Will Picket Steve Jobs' Funeral

Just hours after the announcement of Steve Jobs' death, Margie Phelps, a leader of the Westboro Baptist Church--the group notorious for protesting military funerals--took to Twitter to announce that her organization would give Jobs the same harsh treatment. Responding to the AP's notification that Jobs had died, Phelps wrote that "Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin." In a subsequent tweet, Phelps wrote of Jobs: "No peace for man who served self, not God."

Unsurprisingly, Phelps' proclamation drew widespread scorn on Twitter. And it was ironic, many noted, that she made her announcement using Twitter for iPhone. "The iPhone-wielding Westboro members seemed unable to find any irony in their embrace of the technology of a man they condemn," reported The Washington Post.

"She used an iPhone to announce [the protests]," wrote Dave Weigel at Slate. "By extension, Margie Phelps -- nay, the entire Westboro Baptist Church -- has embraced a philosophy of tolerance for gays. Well done."

In response to her critics, Phelps tweeted Thursday morning "Rebels mad cuz I used iPhone to tell you Steve Jobs is in hell. God created iPhone for that purpose! :)"

Margie is the daughter of Fred Phelps, the widely reviled leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, a small, extremist sect whose anti-gay agenda messages pits it against celebrities, military veterans, and anyone else it deems is promoting a homosexual agenda. "God Hates Fags" is one of the organization's signature slogans.

In May, she represented the church at the Supreme Court, successfully arguing that it has the right to picket military funerals.